Leaky Head Gasket...

[Steven242]

alright, $42 usd will get me a new head gasket and valve cover gasket... I've looked at the block enough times to know there really isn't that much involved attatching to the cylinder head.

I've got some bolts I got to take off of the intake manifold and exhaust manifold, then the plugs and injectors.

I just want some tips for the diy'er. I've never attempted a head gasket replacement before, course i've always owned computer controlled cars (mainly gm stuff).

Anyways, I've got the Haynes and Chiltons manuals so they say the torque numbers and all, but their wording is too, upscale mechanic like for this shadetree mechanic.

I'll be attempting this probably this weekend on my 1978 242 with the B21F. And if all goes well one last question... every other seal on this block is good, and the ventilation on it is good, can this mechanical fuel injection system handle a small turbo once I get it buttoned up?

[Kmaniac in California USA]

Please tell me that you are going to take the cylinder head to a machine shop for an inspection before you reinstall. If you don't, you run the risk blowing another head gasket right away from undiscovered and undiagnosed problems with the head.

By the way, how did you determine that you had a leaky head gasket to begin with???

[Steven242]

No, I'm not going to take it to a machine shop, if I had the money for that I'd just have a mechanic do the work...

Leaky head gasket because I'm filling up radiator fluid about every week or so, and when running down the road I smell radiator fluid, and after a long drive just under exhaust port one, there is a small stream of radiator fluid coming from between the block and head.

This car has over 227k miles on it, Head gaskets fail.

Machine shops around here charge a minimum of $100 to look at a head. I know how to check a cylinder head to make sure it is true.